KR102540626B1 - Container, processing apparatus, particle removing method, and method of manufacturing article - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a container for accommodating a plate used to remove particles in a processing apparatus for processing a substrate, the container including a charging unit configured to charge stored plates, the charging unit to the plate. It includes a contactor configured to make contact, and is configured to charge the plate by separating the contactor from the plate after supplying charge to the plate through the contactor.

Description

Container, processing device, particle removal method, and article manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a container for accommodating a plate used in a particle removal treatment, a treatment device, a particle removal method, and a method of manufacturing an article.

In a substrate processing apparatus that processes substrates for manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like, if particles present in the apparatus adhere to the substrate or the like, it may be difficult to accurately process the substrate. An example of a substrate processing apparatus is a lithography apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate. In particular, the imprint apparatus brings the mold and the imprint material on the substrate into direct contact with each other. Therefore, when particles are present between the mold and the substrate, a pattern formed on the substrate may deteriorate and the life of the mold may be shortened. In order to solve this problem, the substrate processing apparatus may perform a process of removing particles in the apparatus.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-260671 proposes a technique of removing dust floating in an apparatus by charging a dust adsorbing wafer covered with an insulating film by a corona discharge method and conveying the charged wafer into the apparatus. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-126092 proposes a technique of adsorbing and collecting particles in the device by charging a cleaning wafer made of an insulating material by a corona discharge method and transporting the charged wafer into the device. .

In each of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-260671 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-126092, a method of charging a wafer using a corona discharge method is used. In this method, generally, a high voltage of several kV is applied to the electrode needle to generate an electric field around the electrode needle, and a corona discharge phenomenon continuously occurring from the electrode needle is used to charge the object (wafer) with positive or negative charge. can be granted. However, since ozone is generated in the corona discharge method, the oxidizing power of ozone may oxidize the substrate or the like or deteriorate parts within the device. Electrode needles themselves are oxidized/degraded by discharge, and dust may be generated.

The present invention provides a technique advantageous for effectively performing, for example, a particle removal process.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a container for accommodating a plate used to remove particles in a processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising a charging unit configured to charge the stored plate, the charging unit comprising: A container is provided comprising a contact configured to contact the plate and configured to charge the plate by disengaging the contact from the plate after supplying charge to the plate through the contact.

Additional features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprint apparatus according to a first embodiment.
2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the plate P. As shown in FIG.
3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a container for accommodating the plate P. As shown in FIG.
4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a contactor.
5 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the contactor.
6 is a diagram showing a charged plate P.
7 is a flowchart showing cleaning processing.
8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging unit including a detection unit.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the plate P'.
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a container for accommodating the plate P'.
Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a charged plate P'.
12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprint apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.
13A and 13B are schematic diagrams each showing a state in which a plate is charged in the device.
14A to 14F are diagrams illustrating a method of manufacturing an article.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the drawings, and repeated descriptions thereof are not given.

The present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate. Examples of the substrate processing apparatus are an application apparatus that applies a photosensitive medium onto a substrate, and a developing apparatus that develops a substrate on which a latent image pattern is formed. Other examples of the substrate processing apparatus are a deposition apparatus for forming a film on a substrate, a flattening apparatus for flattening a composition on a substrate using a mold having a planar shape, and a lithography apparatus for forming a pattern on the substrate. Examples of the lithography apparatus include an imprint apparatus that forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, an exposure apparatus that transfers a pattern of a mask to the substrate by exposing the substrate, and forming a pattern on the substrate using charged particle beams. It is a drawing device that In each of the following embodiments, an imprint device is exemplified as a substrate processing device.

<First Embodiment>

The first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In general, an imprint device is a device that forms a pattern of a cured product onto which a concave-convex pattern of the mold is transferred by bringing an imprint material supplied onto a substrate and a mold into contact with each other and applying curing energy to the imprint material. The imprint apparatus according to the present embodiment is used for manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like, and performs an imprint process in which the pattern is transferred to an imprint material supplied on a shot region of a substrate using a mold (original plate) having a concavo-convex pattern. For example, the imprint apparatus cures the imprint material in a state where a mold having a pattern is brought into contact with the imprint material on the substrate. The imprint apparatus can form a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate by widening the gap between the mold and the substrate and separating (releasing) the mold from the cured imprint material.

As the imprint material, a curable composition that is cured by energy for curing (hereinafter also referred to as an uncured resin) is used. As energy for hardening, electromagnetic waves, heat, and the like are used. Electromagnetic waves are, for example, light such as infrared rays, visible rays, or UV rays whose wavelengths are selected from the range of 10 nm (inclusive) to 1 mm (inclusive).

A curable composition is a composition that is cured by light irradiation or heating. A photocurable composition cured by light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may contain a non-polymerizable compound or solvent as needed. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one material selected from the group containing a sensitizer, a hydrogen donor, an internal addition type release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, and a polymer component.

The imprint material is applied in the form of a film on a substrate by a spin coater or a slit coater. Alternatively, the imprint material may be applied on the substrate in the shape of a droplet or in the shape of an island or film formed by connecting a plurality of droplets using a liquid ejection head. The viscosity of the imprint material (viscosity at 25°C) is, for example, 1 mPa·s to 100 mPa·s.

As the substrate, glass, ceramics, metals, semiconductors, resins and the like are used. If necessary, a member made of a material different from that of the substrate may be formed on the surface of the substrate. More specifically, the substrate is a silicon wafer, compound semiconductor wafer, silica glass or the like. Also, before application of the imprint material, if necessary, an adhesive layer for improving adhesion between the imprint material and the substrate may be provided.

The mold has, for example, a rectangular periphery shape, and is generally made of a material capable of transmitting light (eg, UV rays), such as quartz. On the surface of the mold on the substrate side (pattern surface), a three-dimensional concavo-convex pattern to be transferred to an imprint material on the substrate is formed as a device pattern (circuit pattern).

[Configuration of imprint device]

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprint apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the imprint apparatus 100 employs a photocuring method in which an imprint material is cured by irradiation of light (UV rays). However, the method is not limited thereto, and the imprint apparatus 100 may employ a thermal curing method in which the imprint material is cured by heat, for example. Throughout the drawing, the direction parallel to the irradiation axis of the light (UV line) for the mold M is set as the Z-axis direction in the XYZ coordinate system, and two directions orthogonal to each other in a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis Note that it is set in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

The imprint apparatus 100 includes, for example, a processing unit 10 that performs an imprint process, a preprocessing unit 20 that preprocesses a substrate W, and a storage unit 30 that temporarily stores a mold M (original plate). ), and a control unit 40. The control unit 40 is constituted by, for example, a computer including a CPU and a memory, and collectively controls each unit of the imprint apparatus 100 (controls the imprint process). In the present embodiment, preprocessing of the substrate W is carried out by detecting the periphery and notch (or orientation flat) of the substrate W while rotationally driving the substrate W, for example, of the substrate W. It includes a pre-alignment process that performs rough alignment.

First, the configuration of the processing unit 10 will be described. The processing unit 10 includes, for example, a curing unit 11, a substrate stage 12 that can move while holding the substrate W, an imprint head 13 that holds the mold M, and a transfer unit ( 14), and a neutralization unit 15.

The curing unit 11 cures the imprint material by irradiating light (UV rays) to the imprint material through the mold M in a state where the mold M and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact. The curing unit 11 includes, for example, a light source and an optical system, and the optical system includes a plurality of optical elements (lenses, mirrors, etc.) for adjusting the light from the light source to a light state (intensity distribution, illumination area, etc.) , light blocking plate, etc.) Since this embodiment employs the photocuring method, the curing unit 11 is provided with a light source. However, in the case of employing the thermal curing method, a heat source may be provided to the curing unit 11 .

The substrate stage 12 includes, for example, a substrate chuck 12a and a substrate driving unit 12b, and is configured to be movable while holding the substrate W. The substrate chuck 12a attracts and holds the substrate W by, for example, vacuum adsorption force, electrostatic adsorption force, or the like. The substrate driving unit 12b includes an actuator such as a linear motor or an air cylinder, and controls the relative position of the mold M and the substrate W by adjusting the position of the substrate W during imprint processing. (W) is driven in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The substrate drive unit 12b may be composed of a plurality of drive systems such as a coarse motion drive system and a fine motion drive system in order to precisely position the substrate W. The substrate drive unit 12b has a function of adjusting the position of the substrate W in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction as well as the Z-axis direction and the θ direction (rotational direction around the Z-axis) and the inclination of the substrate W. It may be configured to have a tilt function for adjusting the .

The imprint head 13 (mold holding unit) may include, for example, a mold chuck 13a and a mold drive unit 13b. The mold chuck 13a attracts and holds the mold M by, for example, vacuum adsorption force, electrostatic force, or the like. The mold driving unit 13b includes an actuator such as a linear motor or an air cylinder, and presses the mold M onto the imprint material on the substrate (pressing) and separates the mold M from the hardened imprint material (release mold). ) is selectively driven in the Z-axis direction. The mold drive unit 13b may be composed of a plurality of drive systems, such as a coarse motion drive system and a fine motion drive system, in order to precisely position the mold M. The mold driving unit 13b has a function of adjusting the position of the mold M and a tilt function of adjusting the inclination of the mold M not only in the Z-axis direction, but also in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the θ direction. It may be configured to have.

In this embodiment, pressing and releasing of the mold M to the imprint material on the substrate is performed when the mold driving unit 13b drives the mold M in the Z-axis direction, but the substrate driving unit 12b It may be performed when the substrate W is driven in the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, when the mold driving unit 13b and the substrate driving unit 12b cooperate with each other to relatively drive the mold M and the substrate W in the Z-axis direction, the pressing and releasing of the mold M is performed. can also

The conveying unit 14 may include a substrate conveying unit 14a for conveying the substrate W and a mold conveying unit 14b (original plate conveying unit) for conveying the mold M. The substrate transport unit 14a has a transport robot composed of, for example, a hand for holding the substrate W and an arm for driving the hand, and the substrate W subjected to pre-alignment processing by the preprocessing unit 20. is conveyed to the substrate stage 12 . The substrate W transported to the substrate stage 12 by the substrate transport unit 14a is held by the substrate chuck 12a. The mold conveyance unit 14b includes, for example, a conveyance robot composed of a hand that holds the mold M and an arm that drives the hand, and carries the mold M temporarily stored in the storage unit 30. It is conveyed to the imprint head 13. The mold M conveyed to the imprint head 13 by the mold conveyance unit 14b is held by the mold chuck 13a.

The neutralization unit 15 includes an ionizer that emits ions within the processing unit 10 and electrically neutralizes the mold M and the substrate W. The mold M and the substrate W are charged by contacting and separating various parts during conveyance, and by separating the mold M from the cured imprint material on the substrate. Therefore, the neutralization unit 15 is provided in the processing unit 10 to discharge ions into the processing unit 10, thereby preventing the mold M and the substrate W from being charged more than necessary.

Although not shown in FIG. 4 , the processing unit 10 may be provided with an alignment measurement unit (alignment scope), a liquid supply unit, and a gas supply unit. The alignment detection unit detects the alignment mark provided on the mold M and the mark provided on the substrate W, and measures the relative positions of the mold M and substrate W in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The liquid supply unit supplies the liquid imprint material onto the substrate. The liquid supply unit supplies the imprint material based on preset supply amount information, and the supply amount information may be set according to, for example, the thickness (residual layer thickness) and density of the pattern of the imprint material to be formed on the substrate. Further, the gas supply unit has a function of supplying gas so as to reduce particles penetrating into the peripheral portions of the mold M and the substrate W.

Next, the configuration of the preprocessing unit 20 will be described. The preprocessing unit 20 may include a prealignment unit 21 , a substrate transfer unit 22 , and a neutralization unit 23 . The prealignment unit 21 includes, for example, a holding unit 21a that holds and rotationally drives the substrate W, and a detection unit 21b that detects the periphery and notch (or orientation flat) of the substrate W. ), and performs pre-sorting processing. The substrate conveying unit 22 includes, for example, a conveying robot composed of a hand holding the substrate W and an arm driving the hand, and the substrate W accommodated in the substrate container 51 is a pre-alignment unit ( 21) (holding unit 21a). The substrate container 51 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that accommodates the substrate W by a mini-environment method, and the installation unit 24 provided in the pretreatment unit 20 installed on The installation unit 24 may be, for example, a load port of an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM). The installation unit 24 according to the present embodiment is configured as a mounting table on which the substrate container 51 can be placed, but is not limited thereto, and is, for example, an attachment mechanism capable of attaching the substrate container 51. may be configured. The neutralization unit 23 includes an ionizer that emits ions within the pretreatment unit 20 and electrically neutralizes the substrate W within the pretreatment unit 20 . For example, the neutralization unit 23 may be arranged to electrically neutralize the substrate W during transport by the substrate transport unit 22 .

Next, the configuration of the storage unit 30 will be described. The storage unit 30 may include a stocker 31 , a mold conveyance unit 32 (original plate conveyance unit), and a neutralization unit 33 . The stocker 31 is a shelf on which the molds M are temporarily stored (placed or held), and in this embodiment, a plurality of molds M (three molds M in FIG. 4) are configured to be stored do. The mold transport unit 32 includes, for example, a transport robot composed of a hand that holds the mold M and an arm that drives the hand, and carries the mold M stored in the mold container 52 to the stocker 31 ) is returned to The mold container 52 is, for example, a standard mechanical interface (SMIF) pod that accommodates the mold M in a local-environmental manner, and is installed in an installation unit 34 provided in the storage unit 30 . The installation unit 34 may be, for example, a load port of an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM). The installation unit 34 according to the present embodiment is configured as a loading platform on which the mold container 52 is loaded, but is not limited to this, and is configured as an attachment mechanism capable of attaching the mold container 52, for example. It can be. The neutralization unit 33 includes an ionizer that emits ions in the storage unit 30 and electrically neutralizes the mold M in the storage unit 30 . For example, the neutralization unit 33 may be arranged to electrically neutralize the mold M during transport by the mold transport unit 32 .

[Electrification of the cleaning plate]

In the imprint apparatus 100, if particles present in the apparatus adhere to the mold M, the substrate W, or the like, it may be difficult to accurately perform the imprint process. For example, since the imprint apparatus 100 brings the mold M and the imprint material on the substrate into direct contact with each other, if particles exist between the mold M and the substrate W, a pattern is formed on the substrate. This becomes poor, and the life of the mold M may be shortened. To solve this problem, the imprint apparatus 100 performs a process for removing particles in the apparatus (i.e., a cleaning process).

In the cleaning process, by conveying the dedicated plate P (maintenance wafer) into the device in a charged state, particles in the device are adsorbed to the plate P by the force of static electricity, and particles in the device can be reduced (removed). . The plate P preferably has the same outer shape as that of the substrate W on which the imprint process is performed, and is charged by the charging unit 62 (to be described later). The plate P may be composed of only an electrically conductive member, but at least a portion of the electrically conductive member is covered with an insulating member so that particles in the device can be maintained (retained) in a state in which particles are adsorbed by the force of static electricity. may have In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the plate P includes an electrically conductive member CM and an insulating member covering the electrically conductive member CM so that a part of the electrically conductive member CM is exposed ( IM) may be included. As the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P, for example, a silicon substrate (bare silicon), a metal plate, a glass plate and a resin plate having an electrically conductive film formed thereon can be applied. It is preferable that the surface polishing of the metal plate is performed so that generation of dust may be reduced. As the insulating member IM of the plate P, for example, an acrylic resin, a polyimide resin, a polyolefin resin, a polyamide resin, or the like can be applied.

In the configuration example of the plate P shown in FIG. 2, the insulating member IM is provided only on the surface (lower surface) held by the substrate chuck 12a, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the insulating member IM may be provided so that the electrically conductive member CM is exposed at a portion where the contactor 63 of the charging unit 62 (to be described later) contacts. That is, as long as the exposed portion of the electrically conductive member CM is formed at the portion where the contactor 63 of the charging unit 62 contacts, the insulating member IM may also be provided on the upper surface of the plate P.

Next, a method of charging the plate P for cleaning treatment will be described. In this embodiment, the charging unit 62 is provided in a container 60 that accommodates the plate P, and the container 60 may be configured of, for example, a FOUP similar to the substrate container 51 . If the container 60 of the plate P is configured as a FOUP, as shown in FIG. 1, the container 60 is installed in the installation unit 24 (the load port of the EFEM) of the preprocessing unit 20 instead of the substrate container 51 ) can be installed. In a state where the plate P after the cleaning process is accommodated in the container 60, the container 60 is taken out of the imprint device 100 and sent to an external particle inspection device, and the plate P is attached to the surface of the plate P. Inspections such as component analysis of particles can be performed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the container 60 accommodating the plate P. As shown in FIG. The container 60 includes a support unit 61 (slot unit) that supports the plate P, and a charging unit 62 that charges the plate P supported by the support unit 61 in the container. do. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the charging unit 62 is enlarged to make the configuration easier to understand. In the case where the plate P is automatically charged, a control unit for controlling the charging unit 62 may be provided in the container 60 . When the container 60 is installed in the installation unit 24, the control unit 40 of the imprint apparatus 100 and the charging unit 62 may be communicatively connected, and the control unit 40 may be connected to the charging unit 62. ) can be controlled.

The support unit 61 is formed in a shelf shape so as to accommodate a plurality of plates P, for example, and is configured to support the plate P by contacting the periphery of the plate P. The support unit 61 may be configured to contact the insulating member IM of the plate P, or may be formed of an insulating material, so as to prevent electric charges from being discharged from the charged plate P.

The charging unit 62 is a contactor 63 (contact type probe) contacting the exposed portion of the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P, and a power source for applying a voltage to the plate P through the contactor 63. unit 64, and a switching unit 65 for switching the polarity of charging the plate P. As shown in FIG. 4, the contact 63 includes a plunger 63a contacting the exposed portion of the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P, and a barrel elastically supporting the plunger 63a by a spring or the like ( barrel) (63b). In this configuration, when manually or automatically driving the barrel 63b vertically by a driving mechanism (not shown), the contactor 63 (plunger 63a) is brought into contact with the plate P with a predetermined pressure. can The plunger 63a has, for example, a spherical distal end in order to minimize generation of dust while securing conductivity, and is preferably made of a metal material that is less abrasive and less oxidized.

The configuration of the contactor 63 is not limited to the configuration including the plunger 63a and the barrel 63b, and the contactor 63 may have other configurations. 5 is a view showing a modified example of the contactor 63, and is a view of the contactor 63 viewed from above. In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the rotary contact ( 63) constitutes. By configuring the contactor 63 so as to come into contact with the edge of the plate P, the design freedom of the container 60 (eg, the support unit 61) can be improved.

The power unit 64 is configured to change the polarity of charging the plate P, and may include, for example, a plurality of types of power sources. More specifically, the power supply unit 64 has a power source 64a, the negative electrode of which is grounded and whose positive electrode can be connected to the contactor 63 (plunger 63a) via the switching unit 65, and the positive electrode is grounded It may include a power source 64b whose negative electrode may be connected to the contactor 63 (plunger 63a) via the switching unit 65. In addition, the switching unit 65 may be configured as a switch that switches the power electrically connected to the contactor 63 to selectively charge the plate P to the first polarity or the second polarity. The first polarity and the second polarity have polarities opposite to each other, and one side may be a positive electrode and the other side may be a negative electrode. For example, when the plate P is positively charged, the switching unit 65 connects the power source 64a to the contact 63, and the switching unit 65 charges the plate P with the negative electrode. In this case, the power source 64b is connected to the contactor 63. Note that the switching unit 65 may also have a function as a switch for switching ON/OFF of application of a voltage to the contactor 63.

The charging unit 62 configured in this way presses the contactor 63 to the exposed portion of the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P with a predetermined pressure, and in this state, the power supply unit 64 (64a or 64b) By applying a voltage to the plate P through the contactor 63, charge is supplied to the plate P. When a predetermined amount of time has elapsed and a predetermined amount of charge has accumulated on the plate P, the contact 63 is separated from the plate P while the contact 63 and the power supply unit 64 are connected to each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the plate P is charged, and the plate P can be maintained (retained) in a charged state. According to the present embodiment, charge distribution can be made uniform by the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P, the surface potential of the plate P can be easily controlled, and reproducibility can be secured.

In addition, since the charging unit 62 according to the present embodiment charges the plate P by bringing the contactor 63 into contact with the plate P, the following occurrences occurring when the plate is charged using the corona discharge method problems are unlikely to occur. For example, in the corona discharge method, a high voltage of several kV is applied to an electrode needle to generate an electric field around the electrode needle. However, since ozone is generated, the oxidizing power of ozone oxidizes plates and the like, and deteriorates parts in the device. The electrode needle itself may be oxidized/degraded by the discharge and generate dust. Gas components in the atmosphere are converted into particles, and large particles accumulated on the tip of the electrode may be scattered. Also, depending on the insulating material of the plate, corona discharge may cause holes in the insulating film, and charge distribution in the insulating film of the plate may become non-uniform. In particular, a discharge mark called a static mark is easily generated near the tip of the electrode, and it may be difficult to uniformly control the surface potential.

[Cleaning process]

Next, the cleaning process (particle removal process) in the imprint apparatus will be described. 7 is a flowchart showing cleaning processing. In the step of the flowchart shown in Fig. 7, an example of performing the cleaning treatment using the first plate charged with the first polarity and the second plate charged with the second polarity is shown. The first polarity and the second polarity are opposite to each other, and one is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode.

In step S11, the container 60 accommodating the first plate and the second plate serving as the cleaning plate P is installed in the installation unit 24 of the pretreatment unit 20. The container 60 may be installed in a transport system provided outside the imprint apparatus 100 . At this time, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the container 60 is installed in the installation unit 24 (that is, whether or not the plates P (first plate and second plate) for cleaning processing are prepared). judge In step S12, the neutralization units 15 and 23 (substrate neutralization units) are stopped. The reason why the neutralization units 15 and 23 are stopped is that when the charged plate P is conveyed into the imprint apparatus and ions are released from the neutralization units 15 and 23, the amount of charge on the plate P is reduced. am.

In step S13, the first plate is charged to the first polarity by the charging unit 62 of the container 60. The first plate may be manually or automatically charged. When the first plate is automatically charged, the control unit provided in the container 60 or the control unit 40 of the imprint apparatus 100 controls the charging unit 62 . As described above, the charging unit 62 applies a voltage to the contact 63 in a state where the contact 63 is brought into contact with the first plate, and after a predetermined time elapses, the voltage is applied to the contact 63. The first plate can be charged by separating the contactor 63 from the first plate in an applied state.

In step S14, the conveying unit conveys the first plate accommodated in the container 60. The first plate is transported from the container 60 to the prealignment unit 21 by the substrate transport unit 22, and then from the prealignment unit 21 by the substrate transport unit 14a. This can be realized by conveying the first plate to the substrate stage 12 . In step S15, the substrate stage 12 holding the first plate is driven. The substrate stage 12 may be driven in the same manner as the manner in which the substrate stage 12 is driven during the imprint process. That is, a dummy imprint process simulating the supply of the imprint material by the liquid supply unit and the pressing/release operation of the mold M is performed. This allows the first plate to adsorb particles floating around the substrate stage 12 and particles attached to the substrate stage 12 and its periphery member. In step S16, the first plate held by the substrate stage 12 is recovered by the substrate transport units 14a and 22 and transported to the container 60.

In step S17, the charging unit 62 of the container 60 charges the second plate to the second polarity. The second plate may be manually or automatically charged similarly to the charging of the first plate. However, the switching unit 65 switches (changes) the power source used among the power supply units 64. In step S18, the substrate transport units 14a and 22 transport the second plate accommodated in the container 60 to the substrate stage 12. In step S19, the substrate stage 12 holding the second plate is driven. Steps S18 and S19 may be performed similarly to steps S14 and S15. In step S20, the second plate held by the substrate stage 12 is recovered by the substrate transport units 14a and 22 and transported to the container 60. In step S21, the neutralization units 15 and 23 are operated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the conveying unit conveys the first plate and the second plate charged with opposite polarities to each other within the imprint apparatus. As a result, the first plate and the second plate adsorb particles charged with respective polarities, so that the particles in the imprint device can be effectively removed.

<Second Embodiment>

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. As described in the first embodiment, the charging unit 62 of the container 60 charges the plate P by applying a voltage to the contactor 63 in a state where the contactor 63 is in contact with the plate P. let it At this time, if the contact state between the contactor 63 and the plate P is not good, the contact portion acts as a resistance, preventing the supply of electric charge to the plate P. To solve this problem, the charging unit 62 according to the present embodiment detects the contact state between the contactor 63 and the plate P (ie, the conduction state between the contactor 63 and the plate P). A detection unit 66 is included.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the charging unit 62 including the detection unit 66. As shown in FIG. The detection unit 66 detects the second contact 66a contacting the exposed portion of the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P, and the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P, for example, through the contactor ( 63) and an ammeter 66b for detecting a current flowing between the second contactor 66a. When the detection unit 66 detects the contact state between the contact 63 and the plate P, the contact 63 and the second contact 66a are brought into contact with the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P. In this state, a voltage is applied to the contactor 63. The voltage at this time is preferably set to a value smaller than the voltage when the plate P is charged. When the contact state between the contactor 63 and the plate P is good (that is, when conduction is obtained), the ammeter 66b reacts to detect a desired current value. On the other hand, when the contact state between the contactor 63 and the plate P is poor (i.e., when conduction is not obtained), the ammeter 66b does not detect or respond to a desired current value. By monitoring the current value detected by the ammeter 66b, the contact state between the contactor 63 and the plate P can be detected (confirmed).

Based on the detection result of the detection unit 66, when it is determined that the contact state between the contact 63 and the plate P is good, the second contact 66a is separated from the plate P, and the contact 63 ) is in contact with the plate P, a voltage is applied to the contactor 63 to charge the plate P. On the other hand, when it is determined that the contact state between the contact 63 and the plate P is poor, the contact 63 and the plate P are cleaned, the contact position of the contact 63 is changed, and the detection unit 66 ) to detect the contact state again. By providing the detecting unit 66, it is possible to avoid charging the plate P in a state in which the contact between the contactor 63 and the plate P is poor, and the plate P can be charged more efficiently.

<Third Embodiment>

A third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above embodiment, the example in which the plate P for the cleaning process is transported within the imprint apparatus instead of the substrate W by the substrate transport units 14a and 22 that transport the substrate W has been described. In the present embodiment, for an example in which the plate P' for the cleaning process is conveyed within the imprint apparatus instead of the mold M by the mold conveyance units 14b and 32 that convey the mold M (original plate). Explain.

The imprint apparatus according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the imprint apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , a container 70 accommodating the plate P' for cleaning treatment is installed in the installation unit 34 of the storage unit 30 instead of the mold container 52 . As described above, the installation unit 34 of the storage unit 30 is a load port of the EFEM, and can be configured as a mounting table for placing the mold container 52 or an attachment mechanism capable of attaching the mold container.

The plate P' accommodated in the container 70 preferably has the same external shape as the shape of the mold M used in the imprint process, and as will be described later, the charging unit 72 provided in the container 70 charged by Although the plate P' may be composed of only the electrically conductive member, at least a portion of the electrically conductive member is covered with an insulating member so as to maintain (retain) a state in which particles in the device are adsorbed by the force of static electricity. You can have it. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , the plate P′ includes the electrically conductive member CM and an insulating member covering the electrically conductive member CM so that a part of the electrically conductive member CM is exposed ( IM) may be included. In the configuration example of the plate P' shown in Fig. 9, the insulating member IM is provided only on the surface (upper surface) held by the mold chuck 13a, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the insulating member IM may be provided so that the electrically conductive member CM is exposed at a portion where the contactor 73 of the charging unit 72 (to be described later) contacts. As the electrically conductive member of the plate P' used in the present embodiment, similar to the plate P described in the first embodiment, for example, a silicon substrate, a metal plate, a glass substrate, a resin plate, or the like can be applied. As the insulating member, acrylic resins, polyimide resins, polyolefin resins, polyamide resins and the like can be applied.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the container 70 accommodating the plate P'. The container 70 is composed of, for example, SMIF similar to the mold container 52, and includes a support unit 71 for supporting the plate P', and a plate P' supported by the support unit 71. It may include a charging unit 72 for charging. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the charging unit 72 is enlarged to make the configuration easier to understand. The container 70 according to the present embodiment may be provided with the detection unit 66 described in the second embodiment. In the case where the plate P' is automatically charged, a control unit for controlling the charging unit 72 may be provided in the container 70 . When the container 70 is installed in the installation unit 34, the control unit 40 of the imprint apparatus 100 and the charging unit 72 can be communicatively connected, and the control unit 40 is the charging unit. (72) can be controlled.

The support unit 71 may include, for example, a plurality of support pins 71a that contact the lower surface of the plate P' (an electrically conductive member in this embodiment). The plurality of support pins 71a are preferably made of an insulating material to prevent electric charges from being discharged from the charged plate P. Also, the charging unit 72 may be configured in the same manner as the charging unit 62 described in the first embodiment. More specifically, the charging unit 72 is a contactor 73 (contact type probe) contacting the exposed portion of the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P', via the contactor 73, the plate P' ) may include a power supply unit 74 for applying a voltage, and a switching unit 75 for converting the polarity of charging the plate P'. The contactor 73 may have a configuration comprising a plunger and a barrel, or a rotational configuration comprising a terminal and a leaf spring. The power unit 74 may include a plurality of types of power sources 74a and 74b so that the polarity of charging the plate P' can be changed. The switching unit 75 may be configured as a switch that switches a power source electrically connected to the contactor 73 to selectively charge the plate P' to the first polarity or the second polarity.

The charging unit 72 of the above configuration presses the contactor 73 to the exposed portion of the electrically conductive member CM of the plate P at a predetermined pressure, and in this state, the power supply unit 74 presses the contactor 73 ) through which a voltage is applied to the plate (P') to supply charge to the plate (P'). Then, when the predetermined time elapses and a predetermined amount of charge is accumulated on the plate P', the contact 73 is removed from the plate P' in a state in which the contact 73 and the power supply unit 74 are connected to each other. Separated. As shown in Fig. 11, this causes the plate P' to be charged, and the charged state of the plate P' can be maintained (retained).

In the cleaning process according to the present embodiment, similar to the transfer of the plate P by the substrate transfer units 14a and 22 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the plate charged by the charging unit 72 in the container 70 (P') is conveyed into the imprint apparatus by the mold conveyance units 14b and 32. That is, in the cleaning process according to the present embodiment, as "conveyance of the plate P to the substrate stage 12 by the substrate conveyance units 14a and 22" in the flowchart shown in Fig. 7, "the mold conveyance units 14b and 32) conveys the plate P' to the imprint head 13".

More specifically, in a state where the neutralization units 15 and 33 (original neutralization units) are stopped, the plates P' charged to the first polarity by the charging unit 72 are transferred to the mold transfer units 14b and 32 It is conveyed to this imprint head 13. That is, the mold conveyance unit 32 conveys the plate P' from the container 70 to the stocker 31 of the storage unit 30, and the mold conveyance unit 14b conveys the plate P' to the stocker 31 ) to the imprint head 13. Then, after supplying the imprint material by the liquid supply unit and dummy imprint processing simulating the pressing/release operation of the mold M, the plate P' held by the imprint head 13 is transferred to the mold conveyance unit ( It is recovered by 14b and 32 and conveyed to the container 70. Similarly, in a state in which the neutralization units 15 and 33 (original neutralization units) are stopped, the plates P' charged to the second polarity by the charging unit 72 are transferred to the imprint heads by the mold transfer units 14b and 32. We return to (13). After the dummy imprint process is performed, the plate P' held by the imprint head 13 is retrieved by the mold conveyance units 14b and 32 and conveyed to the container 70 .

This makes it possible to reduce particles floating around the imprint head 13 and particles adhering to the imprint head 13 and its periphery members. The cleaning process of the present embodiment in which the mold conveyance units 14b and 32 convey the charged plate P' is similar to that of the first embodiment in which the substrate conveyance units 14a and 22 convey the charged plate P'. It may be performed in parallel with the cleaning treatment.

<Fourth Embodiment>

A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In each of the first to third embodiments, a configuration in which a charging unit 62 or 72 is provided in a container 60 or 70 accommodating a plate P or P' has been described. However, this embodiment describes a configuration in which the imprint apparatus 100 is provided with a charging unit.

12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the imprint apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment. The imprint apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment includes a charging unit 25 for charging a plate P disposed in a pre-alignment unit 21 (holding unit 21a) of a pre-processing unit 20, and storage A charging unit 35 may be included to charge the plate P′ disposed on the stocker 31 of the unit 30 . The rest of the components of the imprint apparatus are the same as those described in each of the above embodiments, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

In the cleaning process according to the present embodiment, in a state where the neutralization units 15 and 23 (substrate neutralization units) are stopped, the substrate transfer unit 22 transfers the plate P from the container 60 to the preprocessing unit 20. It is conveyed to the pre-alignment unit 21 (holding unit 21a). As shown in Fig. 13A, the charging unit 25 charges the plate P. The charging unit 25 has the same configuration as the charging unit 62 of the container 60 described in the first embodiment, and may be provided with the detection unit 66 described in the second embodiment. After the substrate conveying unit 14a conveys the charged plate P from the prealignment unit 21 to the substrate stage 12 and performs dummy imprint processing, the substrate conveying units 14a and 22 transfer the plate P is transported from the substrate stage 12 to the container 60. Such cleaning treatment may be performed using plates P charged with the first polarity and the second polarity, respectively.

Similarly, in a state where the neutralization unit 15 and the neutralization unit 33 (disc neutralization unit) are stopped, the mold transfer unit 32 transfers the plate P′ from the container 70 to the stocker of the storage unit 30 ( 31) is returned. Then, as shown in Fig. 13B, the charging unit 35 charges the plate P'. The charging unit 35 has the same configuration as that of the charging unit 72 of the container 70 described in the third embodiment, and may be provided with the detection unit 66 described in the second embodiment. Then, the charged plate P' is transported to the imprint head 13 by the mold transport unit 14b, subjected to a dummy imprint process, and then the plate P' is transported by the mold transport units 14b or 32. It is conveyed from the imprint head 13 to the container 70. This cleaning process may be performed using a plate P' charged with the first polarity and the second polarity, respectively, in parallel with the cleaning process in which the substrate transport units 14a and 22 transport the charged plates P. you can do it

As described above, in this embodiment, the charging units 25 and 35 for charging the plates are provided in the imprint apparatus. In this way, the plates can be charged in the imprint apparatus without providing charging units to the containers 60 and 70 that accommodate the plates. Therefore, this embodiment is advantageous in automating the cleaning process, and can effectively remove particles in the imprint apparatus.

<Embodiments of Method for Manufacturing Articles>

The method for manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing an article such as a microdevice such as a semiconductor device or an element having a microstructure, for example. An article manufacturing method according to this embodiment includes the steps of performing a process of removing particles in a substrate processing apparatus (imprint apparatus) using the method described in each of the above-described embodiments, and using the substrate processing apparatus in which the removal process has been performed. and processing the substrate. When an imprint device is applied as a substrate processing device, the step of processing the substrate includes forming a pattern on the imprint material supplied (applied) to the substrate using the imprint device, and processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed in the step. It includes steps to This manufacturing method further includes other known steps (oxidation, deposition, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). Compared to conventional methods, the method for manufacturing an article according to the present embodiment is advantageous in at least one of performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

The pattern of the cured product formed using the imprint device is permanently used for at least a part of various articles or temporarily used when manufacturing various articles. Articles are electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, molds, and the like. Examples of electric circuit elements are volatile and non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensor, and FPGA. An example of the mold is a mold for imprinting.

The pattern of the cured product is directly used as a constituent member of at least a part of the above-mentioned article or temporarily used as a resist mask. After etching or ion implantation is performed in the substrate processing step, the resist mask is removed.

Next, the details of the article manufacturing method are explained. As shown in Fig. 14A, a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer having a material to be processed 2z such as an insulator or the like formed thereon is prepared. Next, an imprint material 3z is applied to the surface of the material 2z to be treated by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the state in which the imprint material 3z is applied on the substrate as a plurality of droplets is shown.

As shown in Fig. 14B, the side surface of the imprint mold 4z having a concavo-convex pattern is directed to the imprint material 3z on the substrate so as to face it. As shown in Fig. 14C, the substrate 1z coated with the imprint material 3z is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. A gap between the mold 4z and the material to be processed 2z is filled with an imprint material 3z. In this state, when hardening energy is irradiated to the imprint material 3z through the mold 4z, the imprint material 3z is cured.

As shown in Fig. 14D, after the imprint material 3z is cured, the mold 4z is separated from the substrate 1z. After that, a pattern of the cured product of the imprint material 3z is formed on the substrate 1z. In the pattern of the cured product, the concave portions of the mold correspond to the convex portions of the cured product, and the convex portions of the mold correspond to the concave portions of the cured product. That is, the concavo-convex pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the imprint material 3z.

As shown in Fig. 14E, when etching is performed using the pattern of the cured product as an etch-resistance mask, a part of the surface of the material to be treated 2z in which the cured product is absent or thin is removed from the groove 5z. As shown in FIG. 14F, by removing the pattern of the cured product, an article having grooves 5z formed on the surface of the material 2z to be treated can be obtained. Here, the pattern of the cured product is removed. However, instead of treating or removing the pattern of the cured product, it can be used, for example, as an interlayer insulating film included in a semiconductor element, that is, a constituent member of an article.

<Other Embodiments>

Embodiment(s) of the present invention may include a computer recorded in a storage medium (which may be more fully referred to as a 'non-transitory computer-readable storage medium') to execute one or more functions of the above-described embodiment(s). one or more circuits (eg, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) that read and execute executable instructions (eg, one or more programs) and/or execute one or more functions of the foregoing embodiment(s); by a computer of a system or device comprising, and for example, by reading and executing computer-executable instructions from a storage medium to execute one or more of the functions of the foregoing embodiment(s) and/or the foregoing embodiment(s) ) may be realized by a method executed by a computer of the system or device by controlling one or more circuits to execute one or more functions. A computer may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors for reading and executing computer-executable instructions. can do. Computer executable instructions may be provided to a computer, for example from a network or storage medium. The storage medium may be, for example, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), storage of distributed computing systems, optical disks (eg, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs) or It may include one or more of a Blu-ray Disc (BD) ^TM ), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.

(Other examples)

In the present invention, a program for realizing one or more functions of the above embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. processing is also feasible.

Also, it can be implemented by a circuit (eg ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims (29)

A container for accommodating a plate used to remove particles in a processing device that processes a substrate,
A charging unit configured to charge the plate stored in the container;
the charging unit includes a contact configured to contact the plate and is configured to charge the plate by supplying electric charge to the plate through the contact and then separating the contact from the plate;
wherein the vessel is formed by a FOUP or SMIF pod. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charging unit is configured to apply a voltage to the contactor contacting the plate, and to separate the contactor from the plate in a state in which the voltage is applied to the contactor, thereby charging the plate. , courage. The container according to claim 1, wherein the charging unit is configured to change the polarity with which the plate is charged. The container according to claim 1, wherein the charging unit includes a detection unit configured to detect a state of contact between the contactor and the plate. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the detection unit includes a second contact configured to contact the plate, and is configured to detect the contact state by a current flowing between the contact and the second contact through the plate. courage. According to claim 1,
the plate includes an electrically conductive member and an insulating member configured to cover the electrically conductive member such that a portion of the electrically conductive member is exposed;
wherein the contactor is configured to contact an exposed portion of the electrically conductive member of the plate. A container for accommodating a plate used to remove particles in a processing device that processes a substrate,
a contactor configured to be energized;
The contactor is configured to charge the plate by contacting the plate in a state in which the voltage is applied,
wherein the vessel is formed by a FOUP or SMIF pod. The container of claim 7 , wherein the contactor is configured to be spaced apart from the plate in a state in which the voltage is applied. 8. The container according to claim 7, further comprising a switching unit configured to switch the polarity of the voltage applied to the contactor. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a support member configured to support the plate such that the support member and the plate are electrically insulated from each other;
wherein the charging unit is configured to charge the plate in a state where the plate is supported by the support member. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the contactor is connected to a power source, (i) after contacting the plate and charging the plate by supplying charge from the power source to the plate through the contactor (ii) spaced apart from the plate A vessel configured to be movable. 12. The container of claim 11, wherein the power source is configured to supply a voltage to the contactor in contact with the plate, and wherein the contactor is disconnected from the plate while the voltage is being supplied to the contactor from the power source. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a switch connecting the contactor to the power source,
The power source includes a first power source configured to supply charge having a first polarity and a second power source configured to supply charge having a second polarity different from the first polarity;
wherein the switch is configured to change the polarity with which the plate is charged by being selectively connected to the first power source or the second power source. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container is configured to be placed on a load port of the processing apparatus where a substrate container for accommodating the substrate or a mold container for accommodating the mold is to be placed. The vessel according to claim 14, wherein the plate charged in the vessel is conveyed from the vessel disposed on the load port into the processing device. 15. The vessel of claim 14, wherein the vessel is configured to be discharged from the load port. A container for accommodating a plate used to remove particles in a processing device that processes a substrate,
A charging unit configured to charge the plate stored in the container;
the charging unit includes a contact configured to contact the plate and is configured to charge the plate by supplying electric charge to the plate through the contact and then separating the contact from the plate;
wherein the charging unit includes a detection unit configured to detect a contact state between the contactor and the plate. A processing device for processing a substrate,
An installation unit in which the container according to any one of claims 1 to 16 is installed; and
and a conveying unit configured to convey the plate charged in the container installed on the installation unit. A processing device for processing a substrate,
a processing unit configured to process the substrate;
a prealignment unit configured to perform a prealignment process on the substrate;
a transfer unit configured to transfer the substrate from the prealignment unit to the processing unit; and
a charging unit configured to charge a plate disposed on the pre-alignment unit instead of the substrate;
the plate is used in a removal treatment to remove particles in the treatment unit;
the charging unit includes a contact configured to contact the plate and is configured to charge the plate by supplying electric charge to the plate through the contact and then separating the contact from the plate;
and in the removal process, the conveying unit is configured to convey the plate charged by the charging unit instead of the substrate. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the prealignment unit includes a holding unit configured to hold and rotationally drive the substrate to perform a prealignment process,
and in the removal process, the charging unit is configured to charge the plate held by the holding unit instead of the substrate. A processing device for processing a substrate,
a charging unit configured to charge a plate to be used to remove particles in the treatment device;
a conveying unit configured to convey the plate charged by the charging unit in the processing apparatus; and
A storage unit configured to store a disc to be used for processing the substrate;
the charging unit includes a contact configured to contact the plate and is configured to charge the plate by supplying an electric charge to the plate through the contact and then separating the contact from the plate;
and in the process of removing the particles, the charging unit is configured to charge the plate disposed in the storage unit instead of the original plate. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising a substrate neutralization unit configured to electrically neutralize the substrate during conveyance by the conveyance unit,
wherein the substrate neutralizing unit is configured to be stopped during transport of the plate by the transport unit. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the conveying unit is configured to convey the original plate,
wherein the conveying unit is configured to convey the plate charged by the charging unit instead of the original plate in a process of removing particles. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising a disc neutralizing unit configured to electrically neutralize the disc during conveyance by the conveying unit,
wherein the disc neutralizing unit is configured to be stopped during conveyance of the plate by the conveying unit. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the removing processing comprises: a first processing in which the charging unit charges the plate to a first polarity and the conveying unit conveys the plate; and wherein the charging unit charges the plate to the first polarity. and a second process of causing the plate to be charged to a second polarity opposite to that of the plate and causing the conveying unit to convey the plate. A particle removal method for removing particles in a processing device that processes a substrate,
charging the plate of the container according to any one of claims 1 to 17; and
and conveying the charged plate from the container into the processing device. A method of manufacturing an article,
removing particles in the processing device by the particle removal method according to claim 26; and
processing the substrate using the processing device from which the particle removal was performed;
A method of manufacturing an article, wherein the article is manufactured from the treated substrate. A particle removal method for removing particles in the processing device according to any one of claims 19 to 25,
charging the plate; and
And conveying the charged plate within the processing apparatus. As a method of manufacturing an article,
removing particles in the processing device by the particle removal method according to claim 28; and
processing a substrate using the processing device in which particle removal has been performed;
wherein the article is fabricated from the treated substrate.

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